1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an aircraft for lifting heavy loads, and more particularly, to a barge type aircraft with a plurality of electric lifting and thrusting motors that travels only a short distance above the ground.
2. Description of the Related Art
A crane is usually required for erecting high buildings and constructions. That naturally also applies to tower-like buildings such as wind power installations. It will be noted that wind power installations are becoming increasingly larger and this means that the cranes on the one hand must reach ever increasing heights and on the other hand move ever increasing masses. That in turn results in larger and heavier cranes. Those cranes are then in turn more and more expensive and the expenditure for transporting such a crane from one building site to another also rises, as also the expenditure for assembly and dismantling of the crane.
An alternative is an aircraft which is capable of transporting the components of the building or construction, such as for example a wind power installation.
DE 22 34 524 discloses a flying platform with a plurality of lifting and thrust rotors, with an electric motor for each rotor and an inverter for each motor.
A disadvantage with that known aircraft however is that the electric motors are mounted to a common platform. That platform on the one hand is of a high inherent weight and, due to the construction involved, predetermines the possible numbers of motors and rotors respectively.